1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to consumable lances for the top-blowing of gas and/or carbon particles, and more particularly to a method and device for positioning the mouth of a consumable lance.
2. Description of the Related Art
EP 0,723,129 A2 has disclosed an arc furnace in which both fixed and adjustable lances are guided through the furnace vessel wall. These lances enable a very wide variety of media to be introduced onto or into the molten material. This document makes no further mention of a manipulator which enables the adjustable lance to be moved into a waiting position and into an operating position.
DE 40 34 809 has disclosed a device for the manipulation of the lances for blowing in oxygen and/or carbon, in particular in front of an arc furnace. This device has a tower with bearing arm and components with which the differently designed lances, including the feed hoses, can be moved.
A drawback is that such a manipulator requires a furnace platform with a relatively high freedom of movement. An expensive and technically complex handling implement is required in order to position the lance tip. To reach a defined position, a large number of movements of the manipulator are required, including a change in the location of the implement itself.
Lances of predeterminable length are replaced by new lances after they have burnt down beyond a permissable length.